Friday, August 30, 2013

You'd never think of an ice cream truck in the middle of the city, but it happens all the time. Here, one was parked just steps away from Macy's and the Empire State Building.

This area has changed a bit, since part of Sixth Avenue has been closed off to car traffic. Now there are tables and umbrellas for people to sit outside and rest after their grueling shopping. Just about every popular store can be found on 34th Street - the Gap, Zara, Uniqlo, Forever 21, Steve Madden, etc. etc.

Happy Labor Day weekend, everyone! All offices will be closed on Monday. The last couple weeks, the city has felt empty. It's been a good time to get away. Mark and I will be staying in town.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Der Kommissar is a small weiner-themed bar in Park Slope, Brooklyn. They have a great array of beers and nine different sausages to choose from, including a vegetarian option.

The sausages are delicious. Mark and I visited twice last week. They make some of the sausages themselves from scratch, including one called a 'Pak wurst' that has a curry-influenced filling.

We are in love with this place, which has outdoor seating in the back and a pick-up window in the front for the late-night wurst cravings I see in my future.

Above the chalkboard menu are snippets from local papers about Anthony Weiner, the unfortunately-named politician running for mayor who is renown for his sexting scandals. Recently, he admitted to sexting pictures of himself a year ago, after he had vowed to stop.

I think most New Yorkers smacked their foreheads and groaned when they heard about the last sexting revelation. It was all over the news, and brought down what was once a promising political career. Here is the Wiki entry, if you're interested.

For the Der Kommissar site, including their delicious menu, click here.

Monday, August 26, 2013

Photo by myself on Orchard Street and Rivington, on the Lower East Side.

Two guys were selling hats, on the Lower East Side.

Orchard Street was closed off to car traffic on Sunday, as it is most weekends. Stores selling leather jackets and other clothing set up racks and tables on the sidewalks for customers to browse through.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Photo by myself around 65th Street and Central Park West, on the Upper West Side.

The view toward Central Park South.

Below is Central Park West, otherwise known as Eighth Avenue. The turnaround at Columbus Circle is just out of view to the right.

I don't usually like to post two scenic photos back-to-back, but I couldn't resist. I was at an apartment Wednesday with some of my coworkers, measuring the place.

At one point I opened the casement doors and stepped out on the balcony. There were people walking not far below, and one fellow looked up at me. 'No!' I wanted to tell him. 'I don't live here. I'm the hired help. I'm just measuring'.

Friday, August 16, 2013

Throughout this summer, Bryant Park has hosted special evenings with 'Accordions around the World'. The night I was there, I think there were thirteen accordion players scattered around the park.

Every Thursday evening, you can hear accordions playing every sort of tune. Accordion players from Norway, New Zealand, Brazil, Japan...you name it. Playing gypsy music, jazz, klezmer tunes...and so on!

There are two more Thursday nights to the summer left. For a description of this event on the Bryant Park website, click here.

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

A derelict house stood in Red Hook, Brooklyn, covered in graffiti. On the front door someone had written 'There is no justice in Amerikkka. RIP Trayvon.'

From what I can tell, Red Hook is a racially diverse neighborhood. Some people have lived there a long time, but there are some newer apartment buildings and converted artist lofts.

Red Hook is located on the water, and so suffered extensive flooding during Hurricane Sandy, last October. One major drawback with the neighborhood is that it lacks a convenient subway station.

Though the Trayvon Martin shooting took place in Florida, 'stop and frisk' (where police are allowed to frisk people on the street because of whatever suspicion) is now being heatedly discussed in the news here in New York.

Just Monday, the stop and frisk routine of the NYPD was ruled unconstitutional. The City plans to appeal.

Monday, August 12, 2013

Photo by myself around 56th Street and Eighth Avenue, in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

A young man performed watch band repairs on the sidewalk, in Sunset Park. This is the Brooklyn equivalent of Chinatown.

Some of the neighborhoods in Brooklyn are so self-sufficient, one could live there and never venture to Manhattan. Many people end up only speaking their native language, such as Chinese, Russian, Polish or Spanish.

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Photo by myself, around 76th Street and Broadway, on the Upper West Side.

After 51 years, Big Nick's, the scruffy burger joint on Broadway, shuttered its doors.

A large sign explained their predicament - their rent was raised from $42k to $60k per month. There was absolutely no way to survive.

In the reflection of the glass you can see the new high rise building across the street, a symptom of luxury living that precipitated Big Nick's demise. Below, a photo from an earlier visit. The array of signs gave the place a certain something something.

I've posted a few other photos of Big Nick's in the past. There were always a few tables on the sidewalk outside, neon signs in the windows and a warm vibe. I will miss this place and its charm.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Photo by myself on the Atlantic/Pacific Street subway platform, in Brooklyn.

Often, commuters on their way home to Brooklyn will hear the ambient sounds of modern music, played on the xylophone. The effect is a bit surreal.

The station at Atlantic and Pacific Streets is a major one, with several train lines passing though. The Barclays Center is just above, a large performance space and home of the Brooklyn Nets and New York Islanders.

About Me

Welcome to my photo blog. I'm an architect and I live in Brooklyn. I post about New York life, my fiance Mark, his car Clive and our dog.
I take photos daily on a Canon 40D and Leica dLux-5.
Email me if you would like to purchase a print or if you just want to chat. I love to hear from people:
kittylittered @ gmail.com